Imran aghast at Nawaz-Modi ‘Kathmandu meeting’

Asks PM to take nation into confidence over Paris encounter with Indian premier

ISLAMABAD: Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) chairman Imran Khan on Wednesday expressed shock at the revelation that Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif had held a secret “deniable” meeting with his Indian counterpart in 2014 on the sidelines of the South Asian Association for Regional Cooperation (Saarc) Summit in Kathmandu.

“Unfortunately, the present leadership of Pakistan and India lack courage and conviction which has led them to hold secret meetings that can be denied,” he said in a statement. “It is the leadership that must take bold initiatives and convince their people to move forward with dignity and confidence.”

The revelation was made by famous Indian TV journalist Barkha Dutt in her debut book This Unquiet Land – Stories from India’s Fault Lines.

This inability to move forward confidently by Premier Nawaz is also undermining the credibility of Pakistan Army at a critical juncture in our history when the military is combating terrorism across the country, the PTI chief said.

Imran said that he believes peace between Pakistan and India is inevitable for the prosperity of people of the subcontinent as peace will ensure economic vibrancy through trade and investment opportunities.

“The best way to reduce poverty in the subcontinent is through peace and trade. However, peace requires conflict resolution and de-escalation of military tensions along the border – the Line of Control and Working Boundary.”

He expressed dismay that the secret meeting in Kathmandu was enabled by Indian steel magnate Sajjan Jindal – with whom the Sharif family has business ties.

Given the Sharifs steel business priority, Imran insisted that PM Nawaz clearly have a conflict of interest between personal and national interest of the country.

Premiers’ Paris meeting

Imran also questioned the Monday’s meeting between the two prime ministers at the climate change conference in Paris, saying there has been a complete silence over what transpired in the tete-a-tete.

At this crucial time, he said, when mistrust between the two neighbours is mounting, Nawaz Sharif as the prime minister should take the nation into confidence of what was exchanged in the Paris meeting. “If the prime minister is convinced of the rightness of his cause then he should not fear a public reaction but rather he should lead the public by convincing them of his position on India.”

Published in The Express Tribune, December 3^rd,  2015.